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San Jose police are investigating a jewelry store robbery that startled holiday shoppers and sent crowds running into stores and out of the mall for safety. Kris Sanchez reports. (Published Monday, Dec 23, 2013)

Updated at 11:45 AM PST on Tuesday, Dec 24, 2013

San Jose police are investigating a jewelry store robbery that startled holiday shoppers and sent crowds running into stores and out of the mall for safety.

At 5:50 p.m., police responded to a report of a robbery at Valliani Jewelers inside the mall. A suspect broke a glass case and took several items from the jewelry store, police said.

Witnesses report hearing the breaking glass, which set off nearby shoppers to run for safety.

"We heard a shatter," said Mayra Montoya. "It kind of sounded like a bottle."

Other witnesses said the shattered glass sounded like gunfire.

Montoya was holding her 2-month-old nephew in the line to see Santa when a man smashed a glass case at the jewelry store.

Montoya said the suspect had a black nylon over his face.

"As soon as I seen that we started running," she said.

San Jose-resident Daisy Bucio was holiday shopping at the mall with her cousins during the robbery.

"It was scary because I didn't know what was going on and a lot of people were running," she said.

Bucio, 16, was waiting with her 2-year-old brother when she saw a crowd of people running toward her. She took her brother and ran into a nearby store, which shut the gates to keep people inside.

"After a while we were told to evacuate the mall," she said.

Police at 9 p.m. said the mall was back open for business.

The suspect fled on foot and has not been identified, police said. No injuries have been reported.